MINI traffic detectives have been rewarded for tackling parental parking around a Darlington school.

A group of youngsters from St Augustine’s Academy have been keeping their fellow pupils safe with their award-winning campaign to stop parents parking at their school.

The detectives had their efforts recognised at the annual Modeshift STARS regional awards ceremony.

A team of year five and six pupils scooped two awards for promoting sustainable travel to and from school.

They won one award for reducing car use, with St Augustine’s also being named the STARS School of the Region.

Lee Robinson, 11, and ten-year-olds Hannah Board and Lily Large attended the ceremony and said they were proud of having made their school a safer and healthier place.

Head Martina McCollom said: “We are absolutely delighted and hope it spurs our pupils on to keep up the awareness of the importance of travelling to school in a healthy, safe and sustainable way.”

The project saw the children work to encourage families and pupils to walk, cycle or scoot to school instead of travelling by car.